DETROIT -- The Detroit City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday that will make text messaging and other distracting behavior, such as eating, drinking, reading or applying makeup, while driving illegal for Detroit motorists.

The ordinance was sponsored by Councilwoman JoAnn Watson and was unanimously passed.

Two council members were absent, Kwame Kenyatta and Barbara-Rose Collins.

The council's Public Health and Safety Standing Committee approved the proposal last Monday, but needed the approval of the full council before the ordinance would go into effect.

The distracting behavior ordinance goes into effect immediately.

"This has become a great factor in injuries, deaths, and accidents," Watson said.

The distracting behavior ordinance is considered a secondary offense, so police officers would have to pull a driver over for another reason in order to issue a citation for texting.

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